Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Solstice - Sun Standing StillI feel humbled sitting under the vast moonless heavens, in the silent pulsation of potential on the deep dark of this longest night. Heart dreams and intentions cook, and I wait for the morning light to permeate the crisp Sonoran desert. The power of the Goddess and how She moves through us all marvels me and I am dazzled by the bright steady Light with whom She dances.

Gazing back on this most wildly Shri-filled year, this is the time to see where we’ve grown, where we can refine, count blessings and extract the blessing energy from the heat of the year’s challenges. I feel so blessed and grateful to have been able to do what I love and love what I do! Every month was full of adventure, wonderment and love. So many highlights, so many new deep heart connections, strengthened old ones, inner thresholds crossed and inner challenges, sick loved ones, death and close calls, new babies, beautiful beginnings and even a few bittersweet and welcome endings, all of which are counted blessings.

From the twilight of this Master threshold year 2011 peering into the unknown darkness of the 2012, our counted blessings illuminate the inner scape of 2012 as infinite points of light on a moonless night. Our blessings light our way as we venture into the unrevealed cycle of Grace.Next year promises to be full of more blessings both joyful and challenging; friends we haven't met and a deeper remembrance and recognition of our essential Nature and what truly is meaningful. As our awakening planet leaps into higher awareness and healing, I'm honored and grateful to share Anusara’s Tantric teachings on our playground of Shiva-Shakti, this Earth Island third rock from the sun. More opportunities for us to come together as world visionaries; envisioning, co-creating, and taking personal action aligned to something greater than ourselves, to serve the Flow in these uneasy critical times. May we all feel the blessedness of being alive, awake and free to choose how to offer to and cultivate this garden we've be given.

This season is all about the Light. Just about every civilization, tradition and religious belief system has some historical connection to ritual celebration of Light at this time of year.For those of us in the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice invites us into the cozy hearth fire of our own soul. The sun stands still as the Goddess delivers the physical Sun from the depths of the longest night. It is a time that invites us to dive deeply into the inner Light, the Luminous Love of your Heart, to assess and reflect on the dissolving year. Reflect on yourself, your life, who you've been and how skillfully you've maneuvered the waves on life's ocean. How did you receive your year, all the churnings of life, the blessings of what you wanted and the challenges you might not have consciously preferred or chosen?

The Yule Solstice is the threshold through which the cold birth of winter your center, your dreams and wishes in the warm sanctuary within. We are called to plant the seeds of our intentions, prayers, dreams, and deepest longings to steep in the fertile embrace of your own heart. As days begin to grow longer towards the coming year, those germinating seeds emerge into expression in your outer life. The Universe will take you as far as you can imagine, dream and desire, and it will be even better than you can imagine if you allow it to unfold and align to the Divine Grace of Shakti. What will yours be? Who will you become by December 2012? What will your contribution have been and how will you have offered the gifts only you can offer? What is your vision for yourself, your community and the world? How and what will you do to help ensure the evolution of yourself, your vision and your world?

It is my deepest wish and prayer that in these times of intense planetary shift and inner journeying, we all can invoke our inner wisdom to make the best choices as visionaries moving fearlessly into the unknown. May you carry the teachings in your Heart, lighting your way, nurturing and cultivating your prayers, longings and intentions into beautiful New Year manifestations of beauty for yourself, your family, your yoga kula, and the planet, for the benefit of all Beings now and to come.Big Solstice Blessings of Love, Joy and Bright Light from within for these Holy Days and every day throughout the coming cycle!

About Benita (BJ)

Internationally renown Certified Anusara® Yoga Teacher, Mom of 3 young men, Grandma of 4.
Founder of Heart Core® Yoga, Handstands Anonymous™ and a co-founder of the Anusara® School of Hatha Yoga. Hypnobirthing® practitioner, Reiki Master, and practitioner of other healing, nature based modalities.
Student of all things Grace, Love and Life.